


Kiss and Make up

by Destinyawakened, MJLS



Series: Subtle Moments [2]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-14
Updated: 2012-05-14
Packaged: 2017-11-05 09:30:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/404887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Destinyawakened/pseuds/Destinyawakened, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MJLS/pseuds/MJLS
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony decides with the help of Steve that he needs to apologize to Bruce.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kiss and Make up

**Author's Note:**

> Un-beta'd, co-written with MJLS. Spoilers for The Avengers (2012).

Steve stared at Tony as the man sat on the couch in the newly restored Stark tower, now the Avengers tower as Stark had dubbed it. It hadn’t taken that long to fix everything and adjust it to living with the Hulk. In fact, every Avenger had their own floor in the building, which was nice, Steve thought but it only made sure that they rarely saw each other as well. It was a rare occasion that both Tony and Steve were in the living room looking for something to do.

“What do you want, Rogers?” Tony was not really in the mood. After the entire phone call at the Shawarma place, Bruce hadn’t called back. Tony would’ve but he had been busy saving the world and restoring his home. And during all of that, he didn’t even had the chance to drink a good cup of coffee, the way Happy made it.

“Nothing,” Steve stuttered, “just...wanted some company.”

“Try someone else, not in the mood today,” Tony growled and downed down the rest of his scotch. The ice clinked against the glass as he put it down on the table and refilled it.

“Is it because of that phone call?” Steve frowned, moving towards Tony and carefully sitting down next to the man, not sure if he should or not but Tony didn’t do anything to stop him so...

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tony grunted, taking a sip from the scotch and shuddered.

“Tony,” Steve inched closer, “it sounded to me like you two had some stuff to work out. Perhaps you should give him a call?” 

“Perhaps you shouldn’t give me any relationship advice considering you’ve never been in one,” Tony snapped back and instantly regretting it. He winced at Steve’s hurt face and sighed, “look, I’m sorry, it’s just, complicated okay? Don’t try to get into this mess.”

“I’m just saying Tony,” Steve placed his hand on Tony’s shoulder, “if you really care about him, you should give him a call. Or better, go see him. Tell him you’re sorry.”

“You’re not supposed to be better at this than I am.”

“Could be because I’m a really nice guy.”

“Doubt it,” Tony said dryly and stood up. He drank the last of his scotch and put the glass down, “see you later Rogers.”

Tony walked out of the living room and made his way to the workshop when he stopped in the middle of the hall and bit the corner of his lip. He should give Bruce a call. It was the least he could do after all that happened. Why did Steve have to talk to him and suddenly give him a conscience that felt bad about what he did to Bruce. Tony sighed, leaned against the wall and sank down. He placed his head in his hands and tried to control his breathing. He was panicking. He had to call Bruce. He didn’t want to lose the one thing that was keeping him grounded at this point in his life. The one thing that actually still made sense in his crazy, hectic, chaotic life.

“Sir, you have been sitting still for approximately 2.6 minutes,” Jarvis’ voice broke through the silence, “are you alright?”

“Prep the suit Jarvis,” Tony stood up, “we’re taking a road trip.”

“Sir, the purpose of a road trip is that there is a road we need to travel on.”

“Nitpicker,” Tony muttered.

Tony suited up and decided not to use his Mach 3 speed and just fly slowly to Gotham. In the meantime, he would call Bruce over and over again until the stubborn bat would pick up and talk to him. Seems like a legit plan, Tony thought and took off.

\---

After their spat the other day, over speakerphone no less, Bruce had hung up and turned his phone off completely. He was hurt and furious all at the same time. Tony had become a bit of beacon of hope in his life that there was something semi-normal, only he really should have known better. Tony didn’t do normal and neither did Bruce. But, ever since he had to drop Batman eight year prior, Bruce had a hard time find ways to keep himself occupied, so when Tony came around, worrying over him became almost a full time job.

His phone was now back on and seated at the end of his desk, and it started to vibrate, prompting Bruce that Tony was calling. Brow raised, Bruce pushed the ignore button and went back to working the annual cost reports for Wayne Enterprises’ technical division. He wanted nothing to do with Tony, not after the brush off he got the other day. Even Pepper was mad at Stark for that, knowing how much he and Bruce ultimately meant to each other.

\---

Tony kept trying to call Bruce, no matter how much times the man hung up on him. He had every right to hang up on him though, Tony admitted that but he wanted at least one chance to make it up to Bruce. Just one chance. Was that too much to ask? He sighed and asked Jarvis for another try at getting Bruce on the other side of the line. 

“Come on Bruce,” Tony muttered to himself as the phone kept ringing, “pick up the phone.”

\---

Unfortunately for Bruce, Tony had linked Jarvis to the manor’s security system, and the AI sounded over the speakers of his laptop asking Bruce to kindly pick up the phone and just talk to Tony for a moment. Of course, Bruce blatantly ignored Jarvis and shut the laptop down.

\---  
  
“I’m sorry sir but Mister Wayne refuses to pick up the phone,” Jarvis’ voice filled the Iron Man helmet and Tony cursed.

“Stubborn bat,” he groaned, “call him again and tell him if he doesn’t want me to crash through his roof, he should pick up because I’m half an hour away from Gotham. You know, with Mach 3.”

“I suppose he does not need to know that, sir?” Jarvis questioned.

“Indeed,” Tony nodded.

Another call went unanswered and Bruce told Jarvis just where Tony could shove his suit. Bruce supposed he couldn’t stop Tony, however, so instead of calling him back, he made his way out of his office, through the halls, and then down and out into the long driveway of the manor, clad in jeans and t-shirt, arms folded over his chest, as he waited for the other billionaire to show.

\---

Tony landed in front of Bruce minutes after Jarvis’ had given him Bruce’s message. Tony groaned and cursed himself. He should really have done this better but he was already above Gotham and didn’t want to turn back. He also knew that no matter what he did, a face to face confrontation with Bruce would be the best thing for their relationship. No matter how damaged it was, whenever they saw each other, they could resolve anything.

He stared at his boyfriend from inside the mask and bit his lip. Bruce looked angry. Hell, he had every right to be. Tony had been a downright ass. Even Happy had scolded him about the incident and that almost never happened. He sighed and decided to take off the suit. If they were going to talk, better do it face to face and not face to mask.

“So, run out of planets to save? No more Shawarma?” Bruce asked, bitterly.

“You should be glad I sort of saved Earth or you wouldn’t be here,” Tony pointed out, “and yeah, well, you’re the shaw to my shawarma so...”

Unimpressed, Bruce just raised one brow, standing his ground. He was proud of Tony, proud that he had gotten his shit together and was finally doing something that everyone could benefit from, not just Tony himself. However, given they’d been together since before Tony ever became Iron Man, Bruce felt slighted to say the least with the way his boyfriend handled letting him know he was okay.

“Stop.”

Tony frowned and stared at Bruce, “Stop what?” he asked, taking a step closer to Bruce who still didn’t move. They blinked, staring at each other, “can’t stop if you don’t tell me what dearie.”

“Stop with the ridiculous pick up lines and the nicknames. Just stop. Why are you here?” Bruce looked hurt, but stern, waiting for an answer.

Tony looked at Bruce’s hurt face, debating on which words to use and when. He honestly did not know what to say to the man in front of him. He had hurt him, badly, and his usual banter wasn’t going to cut it this time. He had to say sorry, and he was sorry. He just didn’t know how to say it. If Pepper was here she would roll her eyes and just walk away to let the two billionaires stare at each other for eternity. Tony took a breath, his shoulders slumped and he looked down at the pebbles on the ground. For the first time, he didn’t know what to say. He was stumped. He was ashamed. All these feelings at once made him feel horrible and he didn’t like it one bit. 

Deciding there was only one reasonable course of action here, Tony reached out for Bruce, pulled him close and kissed him as passionately as he could. His eyes closed and his hands in Bruce’s neck, pulling the man closer but not keeping him there against his will. Pulling back out of the kiss, Tony finally opened his eyes and stared at Bruce.

“I’m sorry,” he blurted out, “I shouldn’t have...”

Bruce just breathed there for a moment, in time with Tony, pressed against the red and gold armor covering his body, which Bruce hoped to god was not as tattered as it had seemed on the news coverage.

“Please don’t do it again,” he asked, more of a request than a demand. “I hate worrying about you, Tony.”

“You worry about me?” Tony smiled softly, his fingers caressing the side of Bruce’s face, “Oh Bruce, why?”

“Don’t make me say it.” Bruce kissed Tony again, more than willing to show his affection for Tony than to tell him.

“Hm, no,” Tony smirked playfully, “I’d like to hear why the big bad bat is worrying about me.”

His hands snaked around Bruce’s waist and Tony pulled him in closer, planting soft kisses on Bruce’s neck and the soft spot behind his ear, “I’m waiting for an answer.”

“Don’t call me that.” It’d been years, after all but Tony still insisted on using the nickname. Bruce was pressed tightly against Tony’s armor, but he managed to get one set of fingers into Tony’s hair, tugging softly. “I worry because I care. Because...” he sighed and kissed Tony again when his lips were near his again. “Because I love you.”

“You love me huh?” Tony smiled, “big words there Bruce.” Tony stared at his boyfriend, “but if it makes you feel better, I didn’t call you because I knew you believed in me to be fine.”

Tony stared at Bruce and added, “Now, I know you think it’s stupid and everything but I knew you were watching the news and everything else there was. You should’ve known I was going to do that. Knowing that you believed in me is what made me do it in the first place there Bruce, no one else can make me do stupid stuff like you can.”

Bruce knew, honestly he did, but that second he saw Tony disappear  with a rocket up into some other dimension for all he knew, the younger of the two men had a panick attack, unaware he actually had that growing fear of losing Tony. He believe in him wholeheartedly, but even Bruce could sometimes succomb to the fears others often felt.

“I know,” Bruce replied, pulling back and taking one of Tony’s hands as he pulled him toward the manor front door, that was still opened. “Like I said, I worried. It was irrational.” But normal for someone in Bruce’s shoes, he’d lost one love before to the cruel intentions of a mad man running around Gotham.

“Not irrational but human,” Tony smiled and stopped Bruce from entering the mansion, “and for that, I love you even more.”


End file.
